Dozens of experts in climate research and transformation research from the Austrian climate research network CCCA and the ÖAW Commission on Climate and Air Quality have been contributing to a document since April, driven by their personal scientific commitment, that aims to help answer this question: the "Reference Plan as a Basis for a Scientifically Sound National Energy and Climate Plan for Austria in Line with the Paris Climate Targets (Ref-NEKP)". A first version is now available.
The Ref-NEKP is being developed on the initiative of Gottfried Kirchengast (University of Graz, ÖAW), the representative of science on the National Climate Protection Committee (NKK), and Helga Kromp-Kolb (BOKU), Karl Steininger (University of Graz) and Sigrid Stagl (WU), under the scientific coordination of Mathias Kirchner (BOKU). In keeping with its title, its goal is to support the improvements to the official NEKP for Austria that are critically needed in the second half of 2019 for climate protection to succeed in the period 2021 to 2030. On 1 July, it will be submitted as a central attachment to a statement by the science representative on the NKK, in a Version 1, for discussion at the NKK, which will convene for the second time this year on 8 July 2019. A consolidated final version of the Ref-NEKP will be available in autumn.
On this occasion, CCCA is organising a press conference in Vienna on 2 July 2019 at 10 a.m.. Leading climate researchers will present the current NKK statement and the Ref-NEKP, and will provide information on the state of climate protection in Austria from a scientific perspective, addressing the following questions:
- Why is an appropriate Austrian contribution to the Paris climate targets an absolute necessity?
- How have emissions developed so far, and what is the required direction of travel towards 2030 and 2050?
- How much damage will Austria suffer if climate policy fails, and what development opportunities does success bring?
- What are the key socially, economically and climate-just measures towards 2030 and 2050?
- What contribution can scientific inputs such as the Ref-NEKP make to the success of climate protection?
Press conference details – You're very welcome to join us:
Time: Tuesday, 2 July 2019, 10:00–11:00 a.m.
Location: Café Michl's – Room "Karl", Reichsratsstraße 11, 1010 Vienna
The following speakers will be available for discussion:
- Univ.-Prof. Dr. Gottfried Kirchengast (Wegener Center for Climate and Global Change at the University of Graz and the ÖAW Commission on Climate and Air Quality, representative of science on the NKK)
- Univ.-Prof. Dr. Sigrid Stagl (Institute for Ecological Economics at WU Vienna, member of the core steering group of the scientists' initiative to develop the Ref-NEKP)
- Dr. Mathias Kirchner (Centre for Global Change and Sustainability at BOKU Vienna, Scientific Coordinator and Project Manager for the development of the Ref-NEKP)
PRESS RELEASE – Thursday, 27.06.2019
Further information and materials can be found here.
